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(No Modell.)

PPPPP? Patented Apr. 15, 188A.

tran @raras Farmer Orrren.

GEORGE XY. DURBROV, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,072, dated April 15, 1884.

Application filed April 12, 1883. (No model.)

Zo @ZZ whom; it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. DURBRow, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a certain new and useful Machine for Distributing Electricity, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for disfering with or diminishing the power of the other circuits, and maintaining. a steady continuous current in each individual circuit.

Q Q are the projecting ends of the contactpoints, to which the circuit-Wires are to be attached.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is aview in perspective of my invention, showing the entire machine. Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the revolving disks. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the mounted disks, and Fig. 4 is a View in perspective of the standards and brushes. A represents a platform or table upon which the machine is built, made of wood or any other insulating material.

B B are two standards securely fastened to the platform A by suitable means, their upper ends being provided with journal-boxes b I). In these boxes b b is located shaft G, revolving therein; and D is a drive or band pulley keyed or suitably fastened upon shaft C, and may be of any desired circumference, according to the rate of speed desired. Shaft C is prevented moving endwise in the boxes b b by means of collars c c, formed upon it.

On each end of shaft C are securely fastened disks E E, made of hard rubber, wood, or other insulating material, and Varying in diameter in accordance with the number of contact-points upon the mounted disks, hereinafter referred to.v They are constructed of a suitable thickness, the proportions depending upon the number of contact-points used with the machine. These disks E E are carefully fastened on the shaft C by key or other suitable device, andtthey are turned off with the shaft, so as to run perfectly true with it. Upon the periphery of each of these disks E E are placed brass rings e c, of suitable thickness, and the same width as disks E E, and they are turned off with the shaft O, in order to run perfectly true with it.

On top of and around brass rings c e are placed copper rings e e', one on each disk E E, of suitable thickness, and of the same width as disks E E. They are securely fastened to the brass rings e e by machine-screws. They are also turned (as the brass rings e e are) to run true with the shaft. Onto these rings c e c e are fastened two springs, ff, one on each disk E. These springs f f are in good electrical contact with the copper and brass rings, and are so bent as to press firmly on and cover one or more of the contact-points G G at the same time. The disks E E are so set on shafts C that the springs ff are directly opposite each other on the same side of shaft G.

In front of disks E E there are rmly fixed to the platform A two mounted disks, of hard rubber, wood, or other suitable material, F

F. as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of drawings.

Upon these disks F F are inserted the contactpoints G G, their number being two or more. That, however, depends altogether upon the number of circuits to be run with the machine. These contact-points G G are placed at even .distances apart on the two disks F F, on circles of equal radius, and are so set on the platform A that contact-point G will be directly opposite contact-point G, and so on around the series, so that when spring f is in contact with the contact-point G the spring f will be in Contact with the contact-point G.

On the platform A, in front of each disk E E, is a distributing-brush, K, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. These brushes are securely fastened to-the platform A, but very carefully insulated from it. Each brush consists of a cast-iron or brass standard, H, (see Figs. l

IOO

and 4,) of suoli height that the brush li can easily rest on copper ringsyc e', and should be of the saine width'. On top oli' this standard H is a bruslrholder, I, inade ot'brass or other good metallic conductor, and turning on a steel pivot at J, allowing thc brush K to move in a circle. rlhe brush 'l is preferably made of copper wire, and securely clamped in brushholder I by ineens of the clamping-screws L.

M is the binding-post, through the aperture m in which is conducted the negative or positive wire of agenerator ot' electricity.

Attach ed to ln'ush-holder l'. is n spiral spring, N, which is attached at its lower end upon thunib'screw 0.

l? is the thrnnb-screw which inthe binding-post M to hold the oeiierator-wire. rllhe wires lorlning the conteo-points will be inade ol' brass or ol her metal.

The operation ol" .niy inachine as YFollows: rl`he two wires 'roin the source ol' the electric current are bronfrht to the binding-posts 3l .lll on the two distributiiig-brushes lili. lhc circuits to be run by the machine nre taken Vfreni the erml'act-points il il on the mounted disks le li". 'lflach circuit should start :fi-oni one contactpoint on one ol'theinounted disks F l!" and end in the contact-point directly opposite on the other stanilard. @n eneh circuit are placed the electric lamps or other instrunients intended to be run by the current. These oircni ts are :n'tiliciall y adj usted by ineens of rheostals, sons to have practically the seine resistz'rnce, nnd hence make the current about equal in all the circuits. All the circuits inziy be worked at one time/,or they inay be worked singly; or any nuinber inay be worked up to the caliacity ol` the nurehinc. friction is `given to the shalt C by ineens ol" n. belt running on pulley D i'roin any steady source ol power. The shaft C runat i'lill'erentspeedsdepending on the size oi' machine, but should run last enough to prevent any apparent unsteadiness oil the current arising troni the rapid breaks in case the spring should touch only one contnetpoint. flhc distributing-brushes li l should press iirnily on the copper .rings c c. The course ofthe current would be es l'ollows: i'roni the source oi' the electricity to one bindin gvpost ill on standard II ofdistributing-brush K, thence to the copper ring on disk, thence to the contact-point which the contactspring touches, and Al'roni there to the line-circuit. Making the circuit oi" the line, it .returns to contact-point directly opposite to the one it started `l'roni, thence to eontactspring, to copper ring, to distributing brush, to bindingpost, to the starting point. New, il' the shaft G is revolved tast enough, the current will pass, il' all the circuits are closed, successively through all of thorn without any perceptible unsteadiness. li" only part ot' the circuits ure closed, the current will pass through those circuits and no ell'ect will be produced on the others. rlhe circuits may be broken or connected at will by n key operati ng on the conneeting-wire which connects with the contactpoint.

liaiving` described nry invention, what I elaini as new, and desire to secure by lielters Patent, is-

l. ln a inachine l'or distributing electricity, the disks il ll, provided with rings c c c c and springsfj", 'rotating on a shalt, in eonibination with mounted disks F lnnd contact-points G tl", whereby an electric current can be divided up into as ninny circuits as there nre eonl aetpoints, operating as showiuand l'o r the purpose described.

2. l'n combination with platform stand ards l 'l5 b Z), shult C, having thereon disks llt E c e c c, provided with springs fj, und mounted disks l? F', having contact-points (ltll', distribntingbrushes li K, pressing upon disks E l5, and suitably inounted in standards il l, and adapted to be held lirnily against disks ,li ld by s} iiral springs N, for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, disks ll ll, relating upon shalt t) and suitably connected, standards ll lil', brush-holders l, and distrihitting-brushes K li, adapted to receive and trnnsinit an electric current troni binding-post Fit to the eontact-points G G upon disks F, tor the purpose set il'orl'h.

GllOlliiil Xl". .liUi-lllltid".

rritnessesz A. lroniriu, Jis. Nrcirors. 

